Aston Martin determined to seek Alonso penalty review
Team boss Mike Krack believes there is ‘sufficient doubt’ to overturn Fernando Alonso’s penalty for the Sainz clash at the United States Grand Prix.
Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack has stated his intention to appeal the penalty given to Fernando Alonso following the first-lap incident involving the Spaniard and Carlos Sainz at the United States Grand Prix.
Following the collision, which saw Sainz forced to retire from the race, the stewards determined that Alonso was predominantly to blame and handed him a five-second penalty. However, Krack is adamant that there is sufficient doubt to warrant a review of the decision.
We believe there is sufficient doubt to justify a review of the penalty, Krack said. We have submitted our intention to appeal and will now work with the FIA to gather all the necessary information.
Krack went on to provide his own analysis of the incident, emphasising that Alonso had attempted to give Sainz plenty of room.
Fernando was given a five-second penalty for causing a collision with Sainz, but we believe this was a harsh decision, Krack explained. Fernando had given Sainz plenty of room, and Sainz had tried to squeeze past on the inside. There was contact, and unfortunately, Sainz’s car was damaged, forcing him to retire from the race.
The team principal also highlighted that other drivers involved in similar incidents had avoided penalties, which further strengthened their belief in Alonso’s innocence.
We have seen other similar incidents this season where no penalties have been given, Krack said. We believe that this inconsistency in the stewards’ decisions is unfair to Fernando and our team.
Krack concluded by stating that Aston Martin would continue to fight for what we believe is right and expressed confidence that the FIA would ultimately reach the correct decision.
We are confident that the FIA will give our appeal due consideration and that the correct decision will be made, Krack said. We will continue to fight for what we believe is right and will not give up until we have exhausted all avenues of appeal.
